SS-2024021733_Soruces Sought Notice_2024.10.10.pdf

Sources Sought Notice No. SS-2024021733

“Clean Energy Transition Analysis: Power, Buildings, Transportation” October 10, 2024

Background:

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a national laboratory owned by the U.S.

Department of Energy (DOE). NREL is the only federal laboratory dedicated to research, development, commercialization, and deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. NREL is managed and operated for DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy (Alliance), the “M&O Contractor”.

NREL offers a breadth of analysis, a deep bench of experts, and an array of capabilities, tools, and facilities to support federal, state, local, and tribal governments and other authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) in the development and implementation of clean energy transition strategies.

This support cuts across sectors—electricity, transportation, buildings, industry, and others—and is grounded in broad-based and inclusive distribution of benefits to community members, including the traditionally underserved. Additionally, NREL’s support is holistic, addressing not only pathways to clean energy deployment, but also co-benefits such as economic revitalization, energy security and affordability, energy and economic equity, job creation, workforce development (retraining and upskilling), emissions reductions, and energy system resilience.

NREL has honed and refined its approach over decades and hundreds of engagements with communities, large and small, across the United States and abroad.

Objective:

The objective of this Sources Sought is to identify potential subcontracting companies that are qualified and capable of meeting the project objectives. The project objective, at a high level, is to partner with NREL in providing a breadth of analysis services for DOE and non-DOE programs to support a successful transition to a clean energy economy.

Analysis will be provided within and potentially across three sectors:

1. On-site, Community, and Utility-Scale Power Supply, Management, and Emissions

2. Commercial and Residential Building Efficiency and Energy Management

3. Transportation Vehicle and Infrastructure Efficiency and Emissions (light-duty and medium duty vehicles)

Project Details:

In the event a solicitation is released, NREL is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a solution that meets or exceeds the following minimum capabilities (examples are included, but the scope is not limited to the examples provided):

1. Conduct Policy/Market Analysis (e.g., evaluate the opportunities and barriers of specific policies and market structures to new/existing/proposed clean energy policies to support the clean energy transition, etc.)

2. Evaluate Program or Project Economics (e.g., help a utility, NGO, tribe, or state or local government identify the cost of clean energy technologies; consider how federal, state and local incentives impact project economics; estimate how they change with a new/existing/proposed programs, etc.)

3. Analyze Project Opportunities (e.g., for new technologies in a specific location, for modifications of existing power/building/vehicles infrastructure, or expansions of existing power/building/transportation infrastructure, etc.)

4. Provide Stakeholder and Community Engagement (e.g., meeting planning and facilitation services, marketing and outreach strategy to engage with stakeholders and community members, etc.)

5. Integrate Energy Justice and Economic Development (e.g., identify, highlight, and address local concerns of underrepresented populations; identify and quantify clean energy project, program, assembly, and manufacturing economic development and workforce opportunities; etc.

6. Workforce analysis (e.g., workforce analysis and forecasting; curriculum development;

partnerships with community organizations to support job entry into clean energy; etc.)

7. Evaluate Financing Options (e.g., how new tax credit expansions and options impact project economics; which public and private financing options projects are eligible for;

project contracting options – including 3rd party ownership, etc.)

8. Capacity Building and Implementation Support (e.g., provide training, webinars, workshops, and associated materials to help state and local communities/tribes/small utilities be able to develop and evaluate their own projects; provide oversight and advice as program clients implement their clean energy program or projects, etc.

9. Monitoring and Evaluation Support (e.g., create a baseline for comparison, identify appropriate metrics for the necessary evaluations, gather the data, analyze the data, create an assessment of the metric evaluations, etc.

Request Details:

The Alliance intends to competitively solicit for “Clean Energy Transition Analysis: Power, Buildings, Transportation” dependent on the volume of qualified responses received.

Step 1 - Sourcing (SSN): Parties that meet the minimum criteria outlined herein are encouraged to submit their capabilities statements. Submitted capabilities statements that meet the Alliance’s stated criteria will be considered for inclusion in the source list to receive notice of the planned RFP. The Alliance reserves the right to add additional sources to the source list at its discretion.

Step 2: Qualifying (RFP): Once the source list is compiled (the Alliance reserves the right to add additional sources to the source list at its discretion), the Alliance will send each qualified source the solicitation document Request for Proposals (RFP). Sources will then be asked to submit in accordance with that formal solicitation document. The Alliance will then evaluate the submitted qualifications against the selection criteria.

Small-Business Requirements: Sufficient, qualified responses to this SSN will determine if a total small business set aside is appropriate for a resultant RFP. The NAICS code applicable to this SSN is 541690 (Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services).

The following links are being provided for convenience:

• https://www.sba.gov/document/support--table-size-standards

• https://www.sba.gov/size-standards

Period of Performance: This project is anticipated to have a base period of performance totaling twelve (12) months or 365 days, plus four one-year option periods totaling twelve (12) months of 365 days. The total Period of Performance, if all options are exercised, shall not exceed sixty (60) months.

Submission Requirements:

For companies interested in competing for the “Clean Energy Transition Analysis: Power, Buildings, Transportation” RFP, please submit the following to Alex Joseph at ASP.Responses@NREL.gov on or before 5:00 p.m. (MST), 11/01/2024 Your submission response is limited to six (6) pages for a summary of capabilities, and two (2) additional pages each for up to three (3) relevant staff resumes:

1. Company Name, Address, and Company URL (include bona-fide location as stated above).

2. Point of Contact Information (Email, Direct Phone Number).

3. Company’s Capability Statement that provides a narrative of the Offeror’s expertise with projects of similar scope, size, and complexity as identified below:

Services Capability: Alliance is seeking a subcontractor that has demonstrated success with similar projects, has experience with federally funded projects, is knowledgeable with challenging schedules on project delivery, and is well versed and skilled in effectively integrating with all project team stakeholders. Please provide additional detail to the capabilities listed below in your response.

Please complete the following table.

1 Capabilities Experience:

Yes/No

Years Experience (if applicable)

1.1 Demonstrated expertise, experience, and capacity in providing clean energy transition https://www.sba.gov/document/support--table-size-standards https://www.sba.gov/size-standards mailto:****@NREL.gov analysis across any/all of the three sectors described above (Power, Buildings, Transportation)

1.2

Demonstrated experience with analysis and technology integration across at least two sectors described above (name the sectors)

1.3

Existing or demonstrated relationships with lower-tier subcontractors, especially regional or local energy justice focused subcontractors

1.4

Sufficient staffing and ability to perform the work (submitted as resumes of two senior-level personnel with expertise in relevant sectors)

Disclaimer: Responding to this request identifies your company as an interested candidate only.

Your submittal is not in response to a Request for Proposals (RFP). This is an SSN, not a Request for Proposal. Verbal replies will not be accepted. All inquiries must be in writing via email. Project related questions will not be entertained at this point in the procurement process. This document represents a market research effort. Any costs associated with the development of a response to this request will not be reimbursed by NREL and submission does not guarantee or otherwise promise inclusion in any forthcoming RFP. In the event a solicitation results from this SSN, NREL reserves the right to set aside in total or in part any resultant award. No award will be made to any subcontractor/vendor that is not registered or in the process of registering with the System for Award Management (SAM). Please visit the SAM website at https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration for instructions on how to register.

If a solicitation is conducted and an award is resulting, a SAM registration is required to be active at time of award.

https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration